Alcohol use has declined for the first time since Covid-19, with Gen Zers and millennials leading the charge
Heavy drinking fell more than 8%, but alcohol use among adults 50 to 64 rose by nearly 4%, researchers said.
- On Monday, a USC-led study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that alcohol use among Americans declined for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Senior author Brian Lee of Keck Medicine described the decrease as modest.
- Using data from more than 114,000 respondents to the National Health Interview Survey, researchers found alcohol use fell by nearly 2% from 2022 to 2024. Heavy drinking dropped by more than 8% during that period.
- Younger generations drove the decline, with alcohol use dropping more than 5% and heavy drinking among millennials falling 17%. Conversely, heavy drinking among adults ages 50 to 64 rose by more than 36% since 2018.
- Lee of Keck Medicine warned that heavy drinking among adults ages 50 to 64 is particularly concerning due to increased risks of cirrhosis and cardiovascular disease. Older bodies are more vulnerable to alcohol damage.
- Dr. Jagpreet Chhatwal of the Institute for Technology Assessment at Massachusetts General Hospital stated that while the decline is an "encouraging trend," targeted behavioral interventions are necessary to reduce high-risk drinking in the 50-to-64 age cohort.
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13 Articles
USC Study Finds U.S. Alcohol Use Declining After Pandemic-Era Rise
Alcohol use among U.S. adults declined for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began but remains above pre-pandemic levels, according to a USC-led study published Monday. Researchers found that from 2022 to 2024, alcohol use declined by nearly 2%, while heavy drinking fell by more than 8%, according to the study published in Annals […]
U.S. alcohol use falls for first time since the COVID-19 pandemic but remains above pre-pandemic levels
Alcohol use among U.S. adults has fallen for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, though rates remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to a new Keck Medicine of USC study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Drinking finally slows after pandemic spike, but not for every age group
Americans are drinking less for the first time since the pandemic, but alcohol use remains higher than it was before 2020, according to a study published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
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